Quick assembly furniture

ABSTRACT

A bookcase includes a furniture carcass ( 1 ) having a bight panel ( 1   a ) and two wing panels ( 1   b,    1   c ). The bight panel ( 1   a ) has hinge edges ( 2   a,    2   b ), and one of the wing panels ( 1   b,    1   c ) may be hinged with each of the hinge edges ( 2   a,    2   b ). The wing panels ( 1   b,    1   c ) and the bight panel ( 1   a ) form a U-shaped open sided case configuration, with the wing panels ( 1   b,    1   c ) and hinges ( 2   a,    2   b ) capable of being folded from the U-shaped configuration to an at least semi-flat panel configuration. A pair of interlocking shelves ( 3   a,    3   b ) form a box panel which interconnects the two wing panels ( 1   b,    1   c ) and holds the furniture carcass ( 1 ) in the U-shaped configuration. A base ( 4   a ) and a top ( 4   b ) mate with the furniture carcass ( 1 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/893,943 filed Mar. 9, 2007.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to furniture case goods, which are known toinclude desks, dressers, shelving cabinets, and the like, and, moreparticularly, to adaptation of furniture case goods so that they may becollapsed to achieve efficiency in transportation and convenientreassembly.

2. Background Art

Supply chain management is a critical aspect of how goods, includingfurniture, are made readily available and provided at low cost tocustomers. Fully assembled case goods are difficult to manage and arethereby relatively expensive to ship and deliver. Fully assembled casegoods are not easily delivered to a customer's home, because of stairs,small rooms and other “obstacles” which are typically large, cumbersomeitems. Fully assembled case goods also occupy large volumes of space intransit from their source of origin to the ultimate customer, and volumeincreases shipping costs. On the other hand, while unassembled units maybe easier to deliver, they require too much time and too much skill toassemble in the customer's home, making this a non-option in supplychain management consideration.

Thus, one appreciates a need for furniture case goods that areefficiently transported, delivered, and placed in a customer'spossession for use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, quick assembly furniture of the invention introduces asemi-flat philosophy that addresses the challenges of transportation,delivery, and placement into service discussed above. Quick assemblyfurniture of the invention provides furniture case goods that comprisevarious sub-assemblies that are quickly assembled at the location ofuse, and assembled without requiring special skills. The varioussub-assemblies required are in accordance with the nature of the goodsbeing a desk, a book case, and the like.

Further, a unit according to the invention may be easily transported toits final destination, even if such destination is the penthouse suiteof a 200-year-old apartment building. While this semi-flat approach tothe solution may have a larger carton than traditional ready to assemble(RTA) or knock down, flat pack furniture, typically about 50% larger,quick assembly furniture of the invention will be much smaller than acomparable pre-assembled case good, typically about 75% smaller. Thus,this inventive provides notable improvement, including smaller cartonsfor easier logistics and a high level fit and finish of the end product.

It will be understood that case goods in accordance with the presentinvention are susceptible to and facilitate full assembly in the factoryprior to packaging and shipment of the case good with the fullyassembled case goods being subsequently partially or fully disassembledand thereafter packaged and shipped. The fit, completeness andcompatibility of all components of each item of case goods in accordancewith the present invention may thereby be positively checked withrespect to all other mating components of said item of case goods priorto packaging and shipment.

These and other features, objects, and benefits of the invention will berecognized by one having ordinary skill in the art and by those whopractice the invention, from this disclosure, including thespecification, the claims, and the drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic representation of a bookcase of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic representation of a bookcase of theinvention;

FIG. 3 is the view of FIG. 2 in a mostly assembles condition;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a drawer according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a back, a first side and a second side of thedrawer;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the back of a front of the drawer;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a bottom of the drawer;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of the drawer;

FIG. 9 is a cross section view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a cross section view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 11 is a cross section view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of quick assembly furniture according to theinvention is generally shown in the drawing figures and discussed below.Generally, the inventive concept is premised on hinging multiple panelstogether sub-assemblies, configuring the sub-assemblies as desired in apartial finished case good configuration, and completing the case goodwith further panels or sub-assemblies.

Thus, a bookcase of the invention may have a basic sub-assembly of athree sided furniture carcass 1 with a bight panel 1 a and two wingpanels 1 b, 1 c (FIG. 1). The bight panel 1 a may have two opposinghinge edges 2 a, 2 b, and one of the wing panels 1 b, 1 c may be hingedwith each of the hinge edges 2 a, 2 b. In assembly, the wing panels 1 b,1 c hinge relative to the bight panel 1 a to a generally U-shaped opensided case configuration as shown in FIG. 1. The wing panels 1 b, 1 care noted to be generally parallel with one another and generallyperpendicular to the bight panel 1 a. Alternatively for shipping, thewing panels 1 b, 1 c and hinges 2 a, 2 b may be folded from the U-shapedconfiguration to an at least semi-flat panel configuration, not shown.

A box panel that interconnects between the two wing panels 1 b, 1 c andholds the three sided furniture carcass in the U-shaped configurationmay be provided in the form of interlocking shelves 3 a, 3 b. A post andkeyhole slot bracket interconnection (not shown) as is known in thefurniture industry or various other hardware may be used to interconnectthe box panel with the shelves 3 a, 3 b as is understood by one havingordinary skill in the art. One may consider the interconnection of thebox panel and the three sided furniture carcass basic sub-assembly 1 toform an intermediate assembly.

At least one of a base 4 a and a top 4 b may mate with the intermediateassembly of the three sided furniture carcass basic sub-assembly 1. Thetop 4 b and the base 4 a may further interconnect between and secure atleast the two wing panels 1 b, 1 c. The top 4 b and the base mayoptionally or alternatively interconnect with the bight panel 1 a aswell.

A desk 5 of the invention may have at least one basic sub-assembly of athree sided furniture carcass 1 with a bight panel 1 a and two wingpanels 1 b, 1 c that define a desk pedestal (FIGS. 2 and 3). Again, thebight panel may have two opposing hinge edges 2 a, 2 b and the wingpanels 1 b, 1 c may be hinged with the hinge edges 2 a, 2 b. Inassembly, the wing panels 1 b, 1 c again hinge relative to the bightpanel 1 a to a generally U-shaped open sided case configuration asshown.

The wing panels 1 b, 1 c are noted to be generally parallel with oneanother and generally perpendicular to the bight panel 1 a.Alternatively for shipping, the wing panels 1 b, 1 c and hinges may befolded from the U-shaped configuration to an at least semi-flat panelconfiguration, not shown.

Some distinctions from the bookcase in implementation of the inventiveconcept for a desk are noted. One of the wing panels 1 b is adapted as afront panel of the desk pedestal 6 and is configured to accept drawersor doors to provide concealable access to an interior of the pedestal.Also, while the bight panel 1 a defined a back panel of the bookcaseabove, the bight panel 1 a defines a desk pedestal side panel. Further,the box panel 7 in the desk 5 interconnects between the two wing panels1 b, 1 c and holds the three sided furniture carcass 1 in the U-shapedconfiguration. The box panel 7 as used in the desk defines a desk 5pedestal side panel, rather than a shelf, as in the bookcase embodiment.Additional box panels in the form of shelves may also be used in thedesk pedestals 6, although not specifically shown in the drawingfigures.

Again, various hardware may be employed. A post and keyhole slot bracketinterconnection (not shown) as is known in the furniture industry orvarious other hardware may be well used to interconnect the box panelwith the wing panels 1 b, 1 c as is understood by one having ordinaryskill in the art. Various hinging arrangements 2 a, 2 b may be used tohinge connect the wing panels with the bight panel.

By providing a second, mirror image, quick assembly desk pedestal 6 ofthe invention as discussed above, a second pedestal for a two pedestaldesk is provided. A modesty panel 8 may interconnect and position thetwo pedestals 6. Then, a top 9 may mate with the pedestals. The top 9may further connect with any or all of the vertical panels, includingthe wing panels 1 b, 1 c, the box panels 7, and the modesty panel 8.

Referring to FIGS. 4-8, a drawer 10 for the desk 6, or the like, mayhave a front 12, a back 14, a first side 16, a second side 18 and abottom 19. The back 14 has a back first end 60 and a back second end 62(FIG. 5). The back first end 60 has a plurality of back first endprojections 64. The back first end 60 includes back first end topprojections 68 and 70. Back first end top projections 68 and 70 includeopenings 72 and 74, respectively. The back first end 60 further includesback first end bottom projections 76 and 78. Back first end bottomprojections 76 and 78 include openings 80 and 82, respectively.

Further, the back second end 62 has a plurality of back second endprojections 66 (FIG. 5). The back second end 62 includes back second endtop projections 84 and 86. Back second end top projections 84 and 86include openings 88 and 90, respectively. The back second end 62 furtherincludes back second end bottom projections 92 and 94. Back second endbottom projections 92 and 94 include openings 96 and 98, respectively.The back 14 also includes a back slot 100 extending between the backfirst end 60 and the back second end 62.

The first side 16 has a first side front end 102 and a first side backend 104 (FIG. 5). The first side front end 102 has a plurality of firstside front end projections 106. The first side front end includes firstside front end top projections 110 and 112. The first side front end topprojections 110 and 112 include openings 114 and 116, respectively. Thefirst side front end 102 further includes first side front end bottomprojections 118 and 120. The first side front end bottom projections 118and 120 include openings 122 and 124, respectively.

The first side 16 has a first side back end 104 (FIG. 5). The first sideback end 104 has a plurality of first side back end projections 108. Thefirst side back end 104 includes first side back end top projections 126and 128. The first side back end top projections 126 and 128 includeopenings 130 and 132, respectively. The first side back end 104 furtherincludes first side back end bottom projections 134 and 136. The firstside back end bottom projections 134 and 136 include openings 138 and140, respectively. The first side 16 includes a first side slot 142extending between the first side front end 102 and the first side backend 104.

The second side 18 has a second side front end 144 and a second sideback end 146 (FIG. 5). The second side front end 144 has a plurality ofsecond side front end projections 148. The second side front end 144includes second side front end top projections 152 and 154. The secondside front end top projections 152 and 154 include openings 156 and 158,respectively. The second side front end 144 further includes second sidefront end bottom projections 160 and 162. The second side front endbottom projections 160 and 162 include openings 164 and 166,respectively.

The second side 18 has a second side back end 146 (FIG. 5). The secondside back end 146 has a plurality of second side back end projections150. The second side back end 146 includes second side back end topprojections 168 and 170. The second side back end top projections 168and 170 include openings 172 and 174, respectively. The second side backend 146 further includes second side back end bottom projections 176 and178. The second side back end bottom projections 176 and 178 includeopenings 180 and 182, respectively. The second side 18 includes a secondside slot 184 extending between the second side front end 144 and thesecond side back end 146.

The back 14 is assembled to the first side 16 by inserting a firstmember 186 through the openings 72, 74, 130 and 132 and inserting asecond member 188 through the openings 80, 82, 138 and 140 (FIGS. 5, 8,10, and 11). The back 14 is assembled to the second side 18 by insertinga third member 190 through the openings 88, 90, 172 and 174 andinserting a fourth member 192 through the openings 96, 98, 180 and 182.The members 186, 188, 190 and 192 allow the first and second sides 16and 18 to pivotally move with respect to the back 14 from a flatposition as shown, to a position in which the first and second sides 16and 18 are at right angles with respect to the back 14 as shown.

The back first end projections 64, 68, 70, 76, and 78 include radiusedinside edges 194 to allow clearance for the above-described pivotalmovement (FIGS. 5, 10, and 11). The back second end projections 66, 84,86, 87 and 92 include radiused inside edges 194 to allow clearance forthe above-described pivotal movement. Similarly, the first sideprojections 108, 126, 128, 134 and 136 and the second side projections150, 168, 170, 176 and 178 also include radiused inside edges 194 toallow clearance for the above-described pivotal movement.

The members 186, 188, 190 and 192 can be inserted in the respectiveopenings during manufacture. The members 186, 188, 190 and 192 can alsobe inserted in the respective openings by the assembler during assembly.

As shown, the front 12 has a front first end 20 and a front second end22 (FIG. 6). The front first end 20 has a plurality of front first endprojections 24. The front first end 20 includes front first end topprojections 28 and 30. Front first end top projections 28 and 30 includeopenings 32 and 34, respectively. The front first end 20 furtherincludes front first end bottom projections 36 and 38. Front first endbottom projections 36 and 38 include openings 40 and 42, respectively.

The front second end 22 has a plurality of front second end projections26 (FIG. 6). The front second end 22 includes front second end topprojections 44 and 46. Front second end top projections 44 and 46include openings 48 and 50, respectively. The front second end 22further includes front second end bottom projections 52 and 54. Frontsecond end bottom projections 52 and 54 include openings 56 and 58,respectively. The front 12 also includes a front slot 100 extendingbetween the front first end 20 and the front second end 22.

The bottom 19 has a bottom front 198, a bottom back 200, a first bottomside 202 and a second side 204 (FIGS. 4, 7, and 8). The bottom 19 issized and adapted for insertion in the slots 59, 100, 142 and 184 of thefront 12, the back 14, the first side 16 and the second side 18,respectively.

The drawer 10 is assembled by pivotally moving the first and secondsides 16 and 18 to right angle positions with respect to the back 14 asshown (FIGS. 8 and 9). The bottom 19 is positioned in the slots 59, 100,142 and 184 as shown. The front 12 is attached to the first and secondsides 16 and 18. A first front member 206 is inserted through theopenings 32, 34, 114 and 116 and a second front member 208 is insertedthrough the openings 40, 42, 114 and 116. Similarly, a third frontmember 210 is inserted through the openings 48, 50, 156 and 158 and afourth front member 212 is inserted through the openings 56, 58, 122 and124.

The front 12, back 14, first side 16 and second side 18 includeprojections having openings for attaching the respective componentstogether (FIGS. 4-6 and 8). In this embodiment, the projections areillustrated as a plurality of fingers. Alternatively, the projectionscould be any structure, such as a single finger, sufficient to attachthe front 12, back 14, first side 16 and second side 18 together.

The members are illustrated as cylindrically-shaped pins for insertionin corresponding openings (FIGS. 5 and 8). The pins can be made of anysuitable material such as steel, brass, plastic, or other materialssufficient to be inserted into the projections and allow for pivotalmovement. In another embodiment, the members could be any fastenerssufficient to be inserted into the projections and allow for pivotalmovement.

The first and second members 186 and 188 are used to connect the firstside 16 to the back 14 (FIGS. 5 and 8). Similarly, the third and fourthmembers 190 and 192 are used to connect the second side 18 to the back14. In another embodiment, the back 14 and the first and second sides 16and 18 include projections, all of which having openings extendingthrough the projections. In this embodiment, a single member could beinserted through all of the projections to make the movable connection.

One having ordinary skill in the art and those who practice theinvention will understand from this disclosure that variousmodifications and improvements may be made without departing from thespirit of the disclosed inventive concept. One will also understand thatvarious relational terms, including left, right, front, back, top, andbottom, for example, may be used in this detailed description of theinvention and in the claims only to convey relative positioning ofvarious elements of the claimed invention without limitation to theinvention.

1. A quick assembly case good furniture, comprising: a first panelhaving opposite first and second side edges, and a top edge; a secondpanel having opposite third and fourth side edges, the third side edgebeing hingedly connected with the second side edge; a third panel havingopposite fifth and sixth side edges, and a top edge, the fifth side edgebeing hingedly connected with the fourth side edge; and a top that issupported upon and connected with the top edges.
 2. The furniture ofclaim 1, wherein the first, second, and third panels are oriented so asto define a generally vertically extending open sided channel with thefirst and the sixth edges defining the open side, and further includinga fourth panel having opposite seventh and eighth side edges, theseventh side edge being connected with the sixth side edge and theeighth side edge being connected with the first side edge.
 3. A methodof manufacture and delivery of quick assembly case good furniture,comprising the steps of: providing a three sided furniture carcass witha bight panel and two wing panels, the bight panel having two opposinghinge edges and the wing panels being hinged with the hinge edges, sothe wing panels hinge relative to the bight panel to a generallyU-shaped open sided case configuration, the wing panels being generallyparallel with one another and generally perpendicular to the bightpanel, and hinge from the U-shaped configuration to an at leastsemi-flat panel configuration; providing a box panel that interconnectsbetween the two wing panels and holds the three sided furniture carcassin the U-shaped configuration; and providing at least one of a base anda top, the one further interconnecting between and securing at least thetwo wing panels.
 4. A method of manufacturing and delivery of quickassembly case good furniture comprising the steps of: assembling aplurality of furniture sub-assemblies; interconnecting the plurality offurniture sub-assemblies to form an item of completed case goodfurniture; inspecting the item of completed case good furniture;disconnecting at least one of the furniture sub-assemblies from thecompleted item of case good furniture to form a partially disassembledcase good furniture item; and packaging the partially disassembled casegood furniture item.